Climate Experts Win ‘Genius Grants’ at Bleak Time for US Science

On Wednesday, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced its so-called “genius grants” for 2025. The annual award honors individuals who “expand the boundaries of knowledge, artistry, and human understanding” and comes with a no-strings-attached prize of $800,000.

Two climate experts were among this year’s 22 winners: Ángel Adames-Corraliza, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who investigates the mechanisms underlying tropical weather patterns, and Kristina Douglass, an archaeologist at Columbia University’s Climate School who studies the history of climate adaptation in Madagascar.

Receiving a MacArthur Fellowship is often life-changing. This year, the announcement comes amid deep ...